Cranial Fascial Therapy (CFT) is a gentle and beautiful merging of the foundations of Craniosacral Therapy and Myofascial Release work. CFT uses each technique on both the craniosacral and fascial systems simultaneously.
It is based on the fundamentals from Dr. William Sutherland’s cranial osteopathic principles, John Barnes, P.T., myofascial release techniques, and my training with the Upledger Institute/Milne Institutes for cranial sacral therapy. I integrate both of these therapies. While craniosacral therapy alone is an effective treatment, the merging of these two therapies creates a more comprehensive treatment for healing when given simultaneously.
Benefits of Cranial Fascial Therapy
Cranial Fascial Therapy is used to loosen the fascia, or connective tissue, in tight restricted areas of the body, releasing the cause of the pain. Some areas that resist treatment with other approaches can respond effectively to the sacral release technique for the lower back and pelvis, or the cranial base release used to mobilize the junction of the head and neck.
The general treatment aim is to normalize the tensions of the body; reconnecting, integrating and balancing restricted areas for relief of symptoms and improved wellbeing.
It is only the manual cranial therapies that view the head as being composed of subtly moving, structural elements that may get restricted and require mobilization to restore health. Using the analogy of the cranium being like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle may help to make this point.
Restoring mobility in order to restore function and symmetry is the foundation concept. The connective tissues of the body, called fascia, respond best to light slow traction and pressure.
It is a whole-body approach including the signature feature of a structural and functional focus on the head.
The particular benefits of Cranial Fascial Therapy compared to other bodywork modalities include:
Cranial function: For treating headache syndromes, jaw, neck and mouth pain, tinnitus, vertigo
Fascial function: For treating sacrum and coccyx strain, chronic lower back pain and stiffness, posture, gait, flexibility
Other issues: Chronic stress, chronic pain, stiffness, numbness, geriatric issues, palliative and pregnancy discomfort, release of stress that is related to emotional situations.
FASCIA
Fascia is the structure that connects all other tissues, organs, bones, skin and nerves in the body:
The layered fascia is a network of connective tissue that envelopes, separates the muscles, and penetrates them down to the level of a single muscle fiber. It holds the tendons, ligaments and the periosteum – the layer that envelopes the bones. It connects all anatomic structures with each other – head to toe – from the skin to the deepest parts of the body. Any injury, postural pattern, emotional stress can quickly create physical tension and discomfort in the depth of the fascia. This could range from a headache, intense back pain or another problem that is not easily diagnosed. Yet under a practitioner’s hands, the reason for the suffering is felt in the clenching and tightness of the fascia and muscles. The manual release of the tight fascia softens the tightness of the muscles and relieves pain, stiffness and often emotional tensions related to the situation.
The deep fascia envelopes the organs of the body and allows them to move freely and change volume. This fascia has different names depending on where it is in the body: pharynx (throat), Pericardium (around the heart, the pleura (around the lungs), peritoneum and perineum in the abdomen.
The dural fascia that envelopes the spine and the brain, forms a unit from skull to sacrum. Tension along the spinal cord and brain can cause a variety of disorders from headaches, TMJ syndrome, back pain, especially low back and hip pain, difficulty taking deep breaths, difficulty sleeping and focusing.
Good referral partners: Chiropractors, Yoga & Pilates instructors, Personal Trainers, Obstetricians, Psycho-therapists, Functional Medicine doctors, meditation instructors.